They want to avoid using the mass spec because they have a limited number of columns (all being used). I am talking with a few companies about making a biolog type test or a custom ELISA assay. Will hear back in a week or so

This would be an interesting project. Biolog assay maybe, but you cant make an elisa for organic compounds and volatiles like those. Although presence of certain proteins in various beers would be cool, and elis-able. If not mass spec or NMR, you would almost certainly have to use chromatography.

What about an assay for species of yeast and bacteria? What would be really neat would be a qPCR assay at different time points during fermentation and conditioning to see how proportions species shift during development.

That would be an awesome doctoral project. So many questions could be asked.

Idk that anyone would be willing to give you enough money to pull it off though.